


Love me rough, and let me fly

by iwaoiculture



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Catra and Adora are super gay for each other, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, LOL this is probably gonna suck, Let's Go Lesbians, Slow Burn, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, bear with me please, chaotic gay girlfriends, happy ending who knows at this point, probably angst, tags are so fun wow, who am I kidding I'm gay for them, wow my first work since I was 14
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:48:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21583294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwaoiculture/pseuds/iwaoiculture
Summary: Based during and after the princess ball, when Catra and Adora dance together and it starts a sequence of events on a whole other lever for the two.(I got the idea for this fic after watching an edit by @alyasnino on instagram with the song High School Sweethearts, by Melanie Martinez. Oof here we go)
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra) Adora & Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

||ADORA||  
It went multiple times through Adora's head that this was a bad idea. A very bad idea. Dancing with her ex-best friend was a recipe for trouble, as even just seeing her was usually a sign that conflict wasn't far off. The two of them, Catra and Adora, swirled and danced almost gracefully around the dance floor in the shifting light of the palace's ballroom. However, to which many others were still oblivious, a storm was brewing between the dark-haired feline and the blonde girl. 

"I don't know about you, but I'm having a blast." Catra replied in her usual snide tone as she twirled Adora around, not for the first time that evening.  
"You know, Catra, whatever you're planning won't work." Adora retorted, trying, and ultimately failing, in her attempt to keep a straight face as Catra spun her and came to rest against her shoulder, a blush spreading across her fair cheeks.  
"Maybe you're right. Maybe my plan won't work. But then again," She snickered coyly. "maybe it already has." 

And before Adora even knew what had happened, she had fallen into Catra's hands all over again.

The scene of the night before ran through her mind like daggers, just as the rest of her encounters and memories of Catra did when they reestablished themselves in her dreams, in her thoughts when she went off into her own world during the day. She had gotten Glimmer and Bow back as she always managed to, and of course they were always there to support her, but this was somehow...different. Not even she could work out how to deal with the constant feeling of Catra leering over her. 

On a rare day off from missions and her She-Ra duties, it was the moments like these that she hated the most. It meant being alone with her thoughts when Bow and Glimmer were off doing their own thing. Adora knew very well that she loved Catra, no matter how much she hated it, no matter how much she tried to banish the girl from her life entirely. She had only herself to remind her of the guilt that ate away at her heart for leaving Catra. She had been left alone in the Fright Zone with Shadow Weaver, her tormentor, for months and it was all her fault. She had been the one to put the look of betrayal on her beautiful, sorrowful face when she had promised to be the one to keep anyone else from putting it there.

The night of the Princess Prom had resonated with her so deeply that all the feelings she thought she had managed to repress came bubbling back up. Multiple times when Bow or Glimmer came a-knocking to check up on her, she shut them out, ignoring the calls of "Are you okay?", and "Adora, please tell us what's going on with you!" from her friends as she sobbed silently in the darkest corner of her room. It wasn't a new feeling that she was left with, wishing that Catra was once again sleeping at the bottom of her bed, curled up like she used to be, as was so normal back in the Horde where everything was cold, except for Catra next to her.

After attending a dinner with Glimmer, Bow and Queen Angella, in which she mostly ignored the food in front of her, and certainly the concerned looks from her two best friends, Adora excused herself from the large dining room and headed back to her room where only her bed awaited her. When she crawled into it, it welcomed her with the coolness of sheets that had been untouched for half an hour and the ability to hide herself from the world. 

When sleep finally came to Adora again that night, it was filled with tear-wracking visions of the old her, running down the Horde hallways with a laughing Catra trailing along beside her as she always had, when they were used to making the best of a bad situation. They turned from childhood to present, Catra turning on her as Adora had on Catra. It was always her sad, broken voice crying out her betrayal and calling her out on leaving her behind, over and over again, like a broken record on repeat. It wouldn't be the first, and certainly not the last time, that Adora had found herself jolting awake in the dead of the night with tears streaked across her cheeks and her forehead damp with cold sweat that stung her eyes when she wiped it away.

Only for the want of her best friend, and long time crush, next to her once more.

||CATRA||  
Catra paced the cold, hard floors of the room in which the Force Captain had been allowed to call her sleeping quarters. She ran her hands through her thick, dark hair as Scorpia's eyes followed her every move. Her heart was left aching and pounding after her latest plan at the Princess Prom. She was trying to convince herself that it wasn't because of the memory of Adora in that red dress, but because of the scolding she had received from Shadow Weaver for letting the Princess trio escape yet again.

"Come on, Wildcat. It's been a long two days and obviously you need some rest, not...pacing around thinking about whatever it is that you're thinking about."  
Scorpia said with an elongated sigh tied onto the end of it.  
She herself was very aware of what Catra felt for Adora, even if it seemed that the multicoloured-eyed female was oblivious. She was also pretty sure that that was what the cat-girl was thinking about, too.  
"I don't /need/ anything." Catra growled, only seeking privacy she knew rarely existed so that she could be alone with her thoughts. "I just want to be left alone, Scorpia. Why don't you go harass Kyle on night patrol, or something." 

Scorpia could only nod in a situation like this. It happened often enough. She knew that the reason why Catra pushed her away was because she was afraid of getting close to someone and having them leave on her again, just like Adora had all those moths ago.  
"Alright, Catra. But you know where to find a friend if you ever need to talk about your girl-issues. I promise, I'll always be around whenever you need me." Scorpia said softly, standing up, brushing herself off and heading out of the doors to go find Kyle to help him keep guard on his patrol.

It wasn't until Scorpia had left, and the industrial screech of the old Horde-issue metal doors closing shut behind her died away, that she whispered to herself in the now suffocating silence.

"That's what Adora said, too." 

For Catra, another sleepless night ensued as she dreamed up plans to attempt to meet with her newest enemy just to see her again, whether it be in the form of an attack, or the dreams she sometimes allowed to slip through the fingers of her mind. These were the dangerous ones, in which she did join the rebellion that day when Adora offered for her to take her hand and follow her. And sometimes, on nights like these, after coming face-to-face with her childhood friend, she dreamed up scenarios in which she left the Horde on her own terms, sneaking out in the night to slip through Adora's window at Brightmoon and wake up with the assurance that she was with her friend again, whether it be on the side of the rebellion or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it was quite short. All of my chapters will probably be this long, maybe slightly longer or shorter, depending, but that should mean that there are more chapters in the end, hopefully. Thank you for reading!!!


	2. Chapter 2

||ADORA||  
It was early the next afternoon that Adora, Glimmer and Bow had been ordered to head out on yet another mission after getting intel that the Horde had just infiltrated a nearby village. Glimmer and Bow had decided to dismiss the case against Adora's odd behaviour for the time being, assuming she had already sorted herself out, even though they had never asked after emerging from her room that morning. The trio walked through the surrounding forest towards their destination, prepared physically, but not entirely mentally, for what lay ahead of them.

"What do you think we'll find when we find the village, Glimmer?" Bow asked as he watched his self-invented tracker for signs of the village- or enemies.  
"I think we'll find Horde scum that we will defeat, just as we usually do. You know, save the day with She-Ra, Bow and Glimmer, and all of that stuff. Right, Adora?" the purple-haired princess asked, turning to Adora for confirmation, an expectant look on her face.  
Adora had zoned out as she trailed along, thinking about the village and the Horde, and whether she'd see Catra again, as she was usually fated to. She was snapped back into reality when Glimmer asked her the question.  
"Um, what? Oh, uh, yeah, right. Of course we will. She-Ra, Glimmer and Bow to the rescue!" She added in, somewhat deflated.

Bow and Glimmer looked at Adora before looking at each other and back again.  
"Are you sure everything is okay with you, Adora? You seem pretty stand-offish of late..." Bow frowned and slowed his pace to walk beside the blonde girl.  
"Yeah, Adora. You have been acting pretty weird, lately, especially since the princess prom. You know you can tell Bow and I anything, right? We're your best friends." She said, coming to walk with the pair when Bow did. 

Adora ran her fingers through her ponytail and sighed, knowing that eventually she would have to tell the two about her troubles anyway.  
"Honestly, I don't know guys. It's just that Catra-"  
She was cut off suddenly as they arrived to the village, a voice ringing through the clearing from atop a Horde bot. "Took you long enough. Hey, Adora~" A sickly sweet familiar voice rang through the air. As predicted, she had been fated to meet with Catra time and time again.  
"Catra." Adora responded flatly, walking slightly ahead of her friends. "Did you really miss us that much?"  
The feline grinned despite the blunt address from Adora.  
"Always~" She purred as a crowd of Horde weaponised machines surrounded the three of them.

"FOR THE HONOUR OF GRAYSKULL!" Adora lifted her sword, quickly finding herself once again as She-Ra. Adora turned to Bow and Glimmer, who now stood beside her. "You two take the Horde bots, I've got Catra." She said.  
"But Adora-" The two shouted after her in unison, but it was already too late. The princess had already jumped off to fight Catra, crushing any bots in her wake before they could even begin to argue. Before they could chase after her, they became immediately occupied themselves, bots surrounding them.

Catra had simply waited for the 8 foot warrior to meet her where she stood. She crouched down, ready to fight at any moment.  
"I thought it would be a while before I got to dance with you again, princess~" Catra hummed, staring Adora down with her multicoloured eyes.  
"You don't have to do this, Catra. I know you're a good person! These are innocent people that you and the Horde are hurting! I just..." She didn't bother to finish off her sentence, feeling small under Catra's scathing gaze.  
"You just what, Adora? Left me to fend for myself? You promised me!" She became unravelled for a quick moment before she realised, immediately pulling herself back together.  
"I never wanted to leave you! I just want to be with you again! Come with me. Join the rebellion!" Adora pleaded for what seemed like the millionth time.

Adora had always known it was futile to try and persuade Catra to come to the rebellion. The answer she recieved was what she was expecting. Catra snarled, teeth and claws barred as she leapt at the blonde princess, swiping at her face and scratching her cheek deeply as she narrowly missed a punch from She-Ra. Catra jumped off of Adora's shoulder, swinging herself underneath the other and pulling her feet out from under her. She kicked her, forcing her to her knees as she held the bleeding wound on her face. A quick glance away told Catra that Bow and Glimmer were still occupied.  
"You know, Adora, you were always stronger without that stupid sword. I bet you think you're nothing without it, but the reality is, it's nothing without you. Your stupid, beloved rebellion. They've made you soft, Adora." She hissed as she circled She-Ra, sending another kick into her back. She walked around to kneel before Adora, pushing her chin up with She-Ra's sword that she had snatched up from beside her.  
"Catra..." Adora whispered. 

It was her chance. Maybe the only one she would get, as the Horde Force Captain inched ever so slightly closer to her to hear what she had to say. She was off-guard and Adora would take what she could get. Doing what she could to make the best of a bad situation. Though it only got worse from there. Adora grabbed the sword from underneath her chin and swung at Catra. Out of instinct, Catra swung back, her claws ripping through white and gold fabric and smooth skin as Adora's attempt to hit her went wide. 

"I love you...." she croaked.

||CATRA||  
Suddenly, all the world around her was silent. Sure there was the background noise of Bow and Glimmer finally finishing off the last of her bots, and the cries when they looked over to the pair, one on the ground and holding her gaping wound, the other staring down at the reality of what she had done, but she couldn't hear anything other than the ringing in her ears. Catra had never meant to go this far. It was instinctual, aimless, even though it had clearly hit her target. 

Adora spared a pained glace at Catra, who had covered her mouth now, sick to the stomach as she took steps backward and away from her ex-best friend. The blonde's blood painted her hands, the underside of her fingernails, her bodysuit- it was everywhere. Adora's cheeks were wet with tears and she had mumbled something that Catra couldn't make out amongst her own pain and thoughts. She hadn't realised until she felt the sting on the cuts on her face that she was crying just as much as Adora was.  
It wasn't meant to happen like this. It wasn't meant to be her. It wasn't....It wasn't....It wasn't. But now, it was. 

Glimmer and Bow had now reached Adora, who had faded back into herself, She-Ra only a memory. The two had busied themselves, Catra only able to watch from afar. A sound of loud whooshing became present, Scorpia calling out to Catra and holding out her hand for her to grab on to. When Catra didn't raise her hand, Scorpia snatched it and ordered Lonnie, who was driving the aircraft, to go. The last thing Catra saw before she was hauled into the ship and taken away was Glimmer looking back at her with a mixture of anger, sadness and pain in her eyes before she turned back to Adora.  
"You did it, Catra! You took down She-Ra! Now that she's gone, the Horde will finally be able to take down the rebellion and-"  
"SHUT UP!!!" Catra screamed at Scorpia's incessant attempts to talk her down from her panicked state. "Just shut up! When did I fucking ask you to tell me any of this! When did I ask you to 'save' me, huh? I killed her. I left her alone there!" She yelled.

Scorpia, Lonnie and Kyle were left to simply stare at Catra as she retreated into the rear of the ship, where she curled up in a corner, kicking a box of supplies on the way as she sobbed silently into her hands. The hands that were still wet with Adora's blood.

{TIME SKIP}

Once they had arrived back at the Fright Zone, Scorpia, Kyle and Lonnie went to report on what had happened. This meant that Catra was left alone to herself, to hide away in her sleeping quarters with the door locked. She couldn't stop staring at her hands. She had showered, scrubbed every inch of her body until it hurt, but the blood was still there. The image of Adora whispering what may have been her final words was still there, too, haunting her.

She skipped dinner that night. And the meeting with all of the Force Captains to celebrate the supposed defeat of the She-Ra and the rebellion, as well as everything else that she needed to attend. She couldn't let anyone see how devastated about this she was, or they'd know. It had become clear to her on the ride home. The way she felt about Adora was much stronger than what was normal. She knew she was in love with the girl she may have very well just murdered. She couldn't bear it, what she had done. There weren't any excuses for a betrayal that heavy. All the dreams about joining Adora had vanished now. Even if she didn't die, the rebellion would probably sentence her to death if they ever caught her. Who was she kidding? She didn't deserve to live after what she had done. Adora never would have hurt her like that, if at all, beyond a few scratches and scrapes from their scuffles. And now...Catra had hurt her beyond what she believed was reparable.

But she had to know for sure. She had to know if she could still try to get Adora back. She had to know if the girl was alive, if she would give Catra the last chance she needed to prove to her that she didn't want to be the bad guy anymore. So she started planning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? This is why we can't have nice things. I swear to you guys that it will get better from here because while I am a slut for angst, I also can't live with myself for hurting them like this without fixing it.  
> On a happier note!!! Thanks so much for the support, what the hell! It's only been 2 days but this has already kind of gone off, so it means a lot to me! As always, please don't be afraid to comment, or give feedback on how I can improve! Also I'm thinking of maybe making a playlist of songs on Spotify for this fic, including High school Sweethearts, which originally was what inspired me to write this story, so yeah.


	3. Chapter 3

||ADORA||  
It was with a lot of spinning and pain that Adora woke up three days later in her room, surrounded by Glimmer and Bow, and a purple aura that told her that Glimmer had obviously placed a spell of sorts over her. Almost immediately after Adora tried to sit up in an attempt to look around and make sure her friends were okay, Glimmer pushed her back down, holding her there until Adora stopped resisting her hands.  
"It's okay, Adora. You're alive, you're safe." Glimmer whispered, a tentative nod coming from Bow beside her.

Adora's world was still spinning, memories filtering in all at once. The village, the fight with Catra, Catra attacking her and wounding her stomach. Catra. She had hurt her, possibly enough to kill her. Obviously she hadn't, but Adora never thought that she would do something like that. Surely it wasn't intentional, she would never hurt her like that while meaning to- would she? Adora couldn't bring herself to answer that question, or any others questions at that point, really.

"Where is she?" Adora mumbled, her voice raspy.  
"Where is who, Adora?" Bow asked, sharing a glance with Glimmer.  
"Catra- where is Catra? I need to talk to her, I need to-" Bow cut her off quickly.  
"We don't know, Adora. The Horde hasn't made any moves for the three days that you were out, and she left before we could capture her. But what you need right now is rest. We stayed with you to make sure you were going to wake up, but now that you have, we'll leave you to rest in peace. Glimmer and I will watch your door, and check on you every now and then, okay?" He tried to reassure her, doing his best to offer a smile.

Adora didn't even get to reply before the two stood, ready to leave.  
"That spell around you is a healing bubble, don't pay it any mind as it will wear off soon now that you're awake. We'll see you soon. We're really glad you're okay, Adora." Glimmer said softly as they both took their last steps out of the door and shut it behind them.

Adora was left alone again. She had come to the realisation that this seemed to be happening a lot of late. Surrounded, but all alone when it was most important. She had to believe that this is what Catra had felt these past months back in the Fright Zone. What was she doing now? Surely the Horde was celebrating what they thought was the death of the famous princess warrior, She-Ra, but did Catra really want to attack her like she did? Adora highly doubted it. She was aware that she was obviously very conflicted, angry and hurt, but she knew that she would never go that far and then celebrate over it. If she couldn't do that to Catra, the chances were Catra couldn't do it to her without feeling copious amounts of hurt and, most likely, self-hatred. Desperately, Adora wanted to be with Catra, now more than ever. She felt no anger, no hatred, towards Catra. But she did feel confused, worried and hurt. She knew that these feelings wouldn't go away until she had answers, but right now, she could hardly move, let alone go about getting the answers for herself. For now, Adora would just have to put a pin in it, and hope that her answers came to her soon enough as she stared up at the impossibly pink ceiling. Waiting. Hoping.

||CATRA||  
Catra trudged through the Whispering Woods alone, night sounds enveloping her feline senses relentlessly. She had nothing with her except a simple metal Horde-issue staff in case of predators, and the clothes on her back. Usually, the sounds of the night would be comforting to her, but with her nerves running so high, and her heart pounding so hard, they were overwhelming. Who was to say that even if Catra found the kingdom of Brightmoon and the palace, that it would be unprotected, and no spells or guards would be ready to capture her and take her to the cell she would most likely rot in for the rest of her life? But she had to risk it. Both for the sake of her sanity, or what was left of it, and for Adora. Whether or not Adora wanted to see or hear her out, she didn't care. It had only been three days since she had hurt Adora, and still she wasn't even sure if the girl had survived. The odds of her being able to stop her in whatever her current condition was was minimal. All she had promised herself was that if Adora was alive, and never wanted to see her again after hearing her out, then she would leave for the Crimson Wastes and never bother them ever again.

{TIME SKIP}

It was well after the moon had set that Catra had arrived at her destination of Brightmoon. Surprisingly, no spells or expectant guards awaited her arrival, and she slipped in unnoticed. Catra dodged and weaved through the nightly guard patrols, never once being noticed as she came to the main palace. She knew which room was Adora's. A while ago, before the invasion of the nearby village where she had hurt Adora, she had sent in miniature Horde bots that were used for recon and had found Adora's room almost immediately. Unfortunately, the bot was crushed under the foot of a guard. However, that didn't matter now. It had been enough for her to figure out exactly which window she had to slip into to get past any last patrols and to find the answer she was looking for. 

And there she was. Adora, laying in bed with bandages across her abdomen, as well as multiple other parts of her body. She seemed to be sleeping, but as soon as Catra's feet touched the carpeted floor, her blue eyes slowly opened to look at her. Catra froze after landing, surprised and happy, but also upset at the sight of Adora looking back at her. The fact that she was this badly messed up was expected, but not even Catra could mentally prepare for seeing the aftermath of what she had done to her beloved Adora. The fact that she wasn't yelling out for help was more worrying than comforting. It's what Catra would've done, but Adora had never been anything like her.

The two stayed in a stalemate for what seemed like an eternity before Adora finally beckoned her to come closer with a nod, not wanting to startle her, or say anything just yet. Catra hesitantly padded her way over until she was standing next to the other. Catra kneeled down, her head level with Adora's hand that was resting on the bed. The tears pooled and pooled in her eyes until they fell down, down, onto the carpeted floor. When Adora's hand lifted to stroke Catra's untamed hair, she flinched slightly, but allowed her to continue. 

"I'm so sorry I did this to you, Adora...I'm so, so, sorry..." She whimpered softly, hoping that no one heard her outside the room.  
Adora stared at Catra for a long moment before she spoke, still stroking Catra's hair. Only she knew between the two of them that the walls and doors were soundproof, and the only way to call for help from her position was to press a button twice that was beside her hand, on the right side of the bed.  
"Stop..." She whispered. "Stop, you don't need to apologise to me, Catra. The fact that you came is proof enough to me that it was never intentional, just instinctual. I swung my sword at you. I can't blame you for swinging back."  
Catra raised her hands to grip Adora's, holding it there and preventing her from stroking her hair any longer.  
She sobbed softly, unable to bring herself to look at Adora, knowing that she was looking down at her. "I never meant to hurt you, I never wanted to leave you there alone...I never wanted to be the bad guy..." She whispered. "I only ever wanted to be with you, Adora. I had to know if you were still alive."

It was like music to Adora's ears. Better than any kind that Bow or Glimmer had ever showed her. When Catra looked up after a long stretch of silence from the blonde, she found her with tears running down her cheeks as well. She was about to pull away, afraid that she'd upset Adora even more, when she saw the smile on her lips.  
"Adora?"  
"Catra, I love you. I have for so, so long. I regret ever leaving you behind. You coming back for me, telling me all of this...it means that you're willing to come with us right?"  
Catra's heart stopped. Adora loved her back, wanted her to join the rebellion with her. But she was certain her friends wouldn't be so welcoming.  
"I- I love you too, Adora...I really do. And I'm ready to join your rebellion...but they won't welcome me like you do...not after what I've done. I'm going to come back, I swear that much to you- on my life, I swear it to you, but I can't join your rebellion tonight. In a week or so...once you're better, I will. Maybe you can talk to your friends, the queen, maybe I can get kicked out of the Horde somehow, I don't know. But I have to go now before they get suspicious. I'll see you tomorrow night, Adora. I promise." 

Adora watched on as Catra stood and swiped at her tears, recollecting herself. When Catra leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek and pulled away, Adora grabbed her hand one last time, squeezing it. "Promise me, you'll come back every day until we can figure this out?" She whispered.  
"Everyday, Adora. I promise. And tomorrow...I'll give you a little more than a kiss on the cheek, but until then I have to go." She squeezed Adora's hand back, did her best to smile, and let go. 

Before Adora could say anything else to make Catra stay, she had disappeared out of the window again, pulling it quietly shut after her and leaving Brightmoon for the Fright Zone once more.

And suddenly both of their answers had been fulfilled. But more questions blocked their way forward still. Nothing mattered, anymore, though, Catra thought as she ran back towards the Horde. They had each other now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, again! So I know today's chapter was mainly Catra, but I think it turned out well for the purposes of the story's progress. I'm happy to finally get some fluff in here, and while there will still, of course, be angst, it will continue to get better. Thanks for the continual support!!! Love you guys, and please, as always, remember to leave feedback or comments. I should have probaby given this to you guys before, but my insta is @saltykawas.senpai . Please also feel free to text me there if you want to talk more about the story!!!


	4. AUTHORS NOTE

Okay so I'll be pretty busy this week, as my orientation for year 11 has started, so I'll do my best to post in another day or two, but it may not be until the weekend that I upload. I think I'll make every weekend my time to post a chapter or two, and if I can get more in, I will! So I hope to upload soon, and keep enjoying what I've already written 💕

SHIT- EDIT: HAPPY BIRTHDAY GLIMMER WTF I LOVE YOU MY QUEEN BEE


	5. Chapter 4

||CATRA||  
It was a week full of meeting with Adora in the dead of night, the only time either of them could afford to see each other without being caught by their respective friends. There was nothing that Catra could really complain about as she indulged herself in secret meetings with the blonde warrior. Of course there was the fact that she hadn't figured out a way to be expelled from the Horde, and also that Adora hadn't been able to convince the Rebellion to take her in yet, but Adora and her were back together. For Catra, that was more than enough. She was willing to wait forever if it meant that she could just stay in her arms forever.

Catra lay curled up against Adora, her arms wrapped around the blonde as they rested on Adora's bed in the palace. It was early morning, at least two am, but she didn't really care. Time would wait for her and Adora, just for a couple more hours.   
"Any progress with the rebellion and your friends?" Catra asked, her voice soft against the other girl's chest.   
Adora gave a tiresome sigh, shaking her head. "I'm really sorry, Catra. I've been trying every trick in the book, but they just won't budge. I have one last idea to try with Queen Angella, rather than with Glimmer, but I don't want to put you in the kind of situation that this plan requires you to be in."

Catra took a moment to take this in, unsure of this idea that Adora said she had, but honestly, she was desperate at this point to be with the rebellion- to be with Adora. She hadn't felt so safe, so comfortable and happy in such a long time. She supposed she shouldn't get used to it. She didn't want to get used to it, afraid that Adora would leave her behind again for the new friends that she had made in the time that Catra was back in the Horde. However, Catra knew that this may be the last chance she had to be with the rebellion and to keep this relationship with Adora alive. Their relationship right now was...stable, at least. More stable than it had been in years. It had only been a week, but their bond had started to reform, stronger than before. But she wasn't sure just how much it would take to break what they had managed to rebuild, and realistically, she didn't want to test the waters.

"Alright," Catra said softly, combing through a few loose strands of Adora's hair with her fingers. "what's this plan entail, then? I'm willing to try it if you think it will work, but I don't want to do anything too...crazy." She finished.  
Adora chuckled tiredly. "I thought you might say that." She paused, thinking about how she should lay this out before continuing. "The plan involves staging another, bigger, kind of invasion of another nearby village. But this time, you'll be the one getting captured. The problem is, I'll probably have to wound you at least as badly as you did to me. I hate it, Catra, I couldn't do that to you, no matter what the circumstance, but I can't think of any other way for Glimmer, Bow and Queen Angella to take you in. They would have to take you in, heal you, and then keep you as a prisoner. I was thinking that once we got that far, Angella would obviously have to question you, like she did to me. And if I vouch for you, and you genuinely want to come to the rebellion...if she puts you under her truth spell like she did for me as well- then she'd have no choice but to take you in."

Catra was silent for a long time. She knew that Adora would never go so far as to kill her, like she could have done with Adora, but the prospect of being hurt, captured and questioned scared her. She knew it was a good plan, essentially foolproof. Adora was right, and all of those things would happen if they went through with that plan, but there was always that sliver of doubt inside her. She did want to be with the rebellion, through and through, and if the Queen put a truth spell on her and saw that, she knew they would take her in. Still, though. Anything for Adora. 

"Okay. I'll do it. If it means I get to be with you, be with the rebellion, then I'll do it, Adora." She whispered, looking up into Adora's blue, blue eyes.  
"Are you-"  
"I'm certain, Adora. I want to do this." She said firmly. Goddamn those blue eyes. She could drown in those eyes.   
Adora nodded. "Alright. I'll have sorted out the details by tomorrow night when you come in again, then." She said, her voice milky smooth in the darkness around them.

Catra nodded in return, pushing herself up to sit. She leaned over Adora, kissing her softly on the lips. It had progressed from day to day. After their first time meeting, it was a neck, and now they were laying together in bed like they did in the Horde, and kissing properly. She lived for kissing Adora.   
"I'll see you tomorrow then, Adora. Stay safe...and um..I love you." She mumbled, blushing. And even though she knew she couldn't see it, she knew that Adora could tell that she was blushing.   
"Tomorrow it is, then, kitten." Adora responded, kissing Catra back. She had only just started using the nickname that Adora had given her when they were in the Horde again. It had made Catra uncomfortable before, but now she had become more settled around it, more settled around Adora and her comforting.   
Catra nodded, kissing her cheek again before slipping out of the bed. She padded over to the window, turned and gave Adora a last smile over her shoulder before disappearing out of the window as she had for the past week.

||ADORA||  
Adora couldn't really say that she was confident in this plan that she had told Catra. As she had mentioned to the feline, she wasn't confident that she was capable in her ability to wound and capture Catra like that. Though Catra had done it to her, she knew she didn't mean it. This time, though, Adora would have to do it on purpose. While she, Glimmer and Queen Angella had healing abilities, those abilities varied in success, and Adora just hoped that she wouldn't hurt Catra so bad that she couldn't be fixed.

Once Catra had left her, the feeling of her lips still lingering on her own and her cheek, Adora sat down at her desk and started to write a detailed plan, mapping out what would happen- hopefully. She wanted desperately for this to work, for Catra to come back to her, be on the same side as her again, and most importantly, be with her permanently. This week had been something straight out of heaven for Adora. As far as she was aware, Catra's and her bond was mended and good again. The two were kissing, cuddling, doing everything they shouldn't be. Shouldn't be? Adora didn't give a fuck if she shouldn't be. It felt so, so right to be with Catra again.

It was around six am that morning that Adora slipped back into the sheets that she and Catra had been laying together in, only four hours before. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she felt the exhaustion creeping up over her. She couldn't do anything more right now, she was tired and her brain was at the stage where she couldn't focus on anything else for another second without it hurting. She decided that when Catra came tomorrow that if she had any modifications, ideas, anything that she wanted to add to the plan to make it better, she would let her, and go over it all with her then. 

However, as Adora dozed off, drifting into the abyss of sleep and closed her eyes, the last thing she expected would come to pass. 

Catra wasn't going to climb through the window of Adora's bedroom tomorrow night to help with the plan, give her kisses or cuddle. Adora didn't realise that she would be lucky to see Catra again. And when Adora finds out what happened, she very quickly realised that she would be lucky to save her in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, sorry about the long wait for this chapter. It's kind of crappy on Adora's part, but I thought it was more beneficial to build this chapter from Catra's perspective for the next one. I'm not entirely sure how often my updates will be from here on, but there should be at least another one or two in the next week or so. Again, I'd like to thank you all for the support and kudos you've been leaving while I haven't been posting, it means a lot. I hope you enjoy this chapter (no matter how badly it was written lol)!!!


	6. AUTHORS NOTE#2

Hi, guys!!  
It's Liv, here, with yet another author's note. First of all, I'd like to say Happy New Year, and that I hope 2020 brings heaps of happiness for you and your families!! More good news, though, I plan to definitely get the next chapter of 'Love Me Rough, and Let Me Fly' out before the end of the weekend!   
It's been so long, and thank you for being so patient. There's been holiday homework, bushfires and procrastination preventing me from doing much, but hopefully when it comes out, you'll love the next chapter!   
Thank you so much, guys. Again, your support means so much to me. 💕


	7. chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> //Let the skyfall,  
> when it crumbles.   
> We will stand tall,   
> and face it all together.  
> At Skyfall//
> 
> Been a hot minute, but I hope you enjoy this chapter. This particular chapter was inspired by the song "Skyfall" by Adele. Please remember to dm me @saltykawas.senpai on insta if you have any feedback, or leave a comment! Thanks for your support in 2020!!

||ADORA||  
It was late. Late, even though Catra hadn't been late to any one of their recent meetings in the early hours of the morning. She knew this wasn't Catra's choice. After coming so far in their relationship, after finally, finally getting somewhere with her after an eternity of fighting, she knew she wouldn't just throw that away on a whim. Earlier that day, Adora had finally managed to find a smidgeon of lenience from Queen Angella. If Catra had just showed up on time, she would have been able to surrender herself for questioning, with the agreement that if she was telling the truth, she could join the rebellion. If only.

Adora paced her room in the Brightmoon palace back and forth until her legs ached. She couldn't stand this anymore. She refused to believe that Catra's tumbling walls and rough-edged love for her was fake after all the progress they'd made up in the past week. She pushed through the doors and out into the palace corridors with purpose, striding straight towards Glimmer's room. She knew this was a risky idea, as she was very aware of the princess' hatred towards their previously feline foe, but if Glimmer truly was her friend, she knew that she could count on her. 

Knocking on Glimmer's door, she powered her way through without waiting for a response. Bow and Glimmer sat conversing quietly on Glimmer's bed, dropping silent as Adora entered the room. The tension in the room was thick and overwhelming, but Adora powered through it, inhaling and exhaling before she spoke.   
"Good, I'm glad you're here too, Bow. I could use both of your help, right now." She said, making her way over to them. She snatched a pillow from the bed and sat down on the floor.  
Glimmer and Bow spared a glance at each other, before Glimmer grimaced with a sigh.   
"We know about Catra, Adora, if that's what you're here about. I overheard mum talking to one of the staff about the deal you and her struck." She said morosely.  
Bow interfered before Glimmer could continue, and very possibly, ruin something important between them.  
"Do you honestly believe that Catra has changed, Adora?"  
Adora rubbed her face, trying to take this all in. She was silent for a moment before she spoke next.  
"Yes, Bow. I really, genuinely believe she wants to be on our side. She loves me, too! But she's in danger, I just know it. She didn't show up tonight when I was going to take her to Queen Angella. I came to ask for your help. I need to find her, I need to go to the Fright Zone and figure out what's happened to her. She hasn't been late one night this week, and she's over 2 hours due." Adora pleaded. "Please, guys."  
Glimmer took a deep breath in, letting the air fill her lungs, before letting them deflate like a punctured balloon. She looked at Bow before finally glancing towards Adora. "For you. Only for you, Adora, Only because you very obviously love Catra."  
Bow nodded solemnly, placing a hand over his chest. "We're all in this together Adora. We're gonna find Catra, and we're gonna bring her back to the rebellion!" He smiled.

Adora nodded, taking a deep breath in relief. She wrapped her arms around her two best friends in the entire world, attempting to squeeze her appreciation into the other two. She pulled away after an extended moment, smiling gratefully at the two of them. "We better work out a plan, then, huh?" She said.  
Bow and Glimmer could only smile at Adora in return. "It's what we do best after all!" They chimed in unison.

Adora beamed at them, standing to grab a large piece of parchment to write on and a pen. She ushered them over to the desk to begin working on their plan to save Catra. As Adora, Bow and Glimmer slipped into a productive, soft conversation, Adora could only hope that Catra would be able to hold on. Just a little while longer.

||CATRA||  
Catra had left for home the previous night, to the Fright Zone, completely unaware of what awaited her. She didn't really believe the Fright Zone was home, though, not anymore. Not when she had Adora's arms to return to every night. Adora was her true home. However, even if she realised this now, it didn't mean that she realised she may never feel those strong, warm arms wrap around her frame again.

It was when she reached the edge of the woods that she realised how oh, so, very in danger she was. A line of Horde bots greeted her, Horde soldiers and Hordak and Shadow Weaver to boot. As soon as she stepped out of the thick foliage, she was wrestled into the ground by none other than her squad members, Lonnie and Rogelio. Catra hissed and growled in attempt to fight the two of them off, but to no avail. 

"Force Captain Catra, you have been found guilty of treason of the highest order. We have decided as punishment to let Shadow Weaver have her fun with you. God knows just how much she's been waiting for the opportunity." Hordak murmured lowly, smiling as he turned around and started pacing back to the Fright Zone. "It would be in your best interests to play nice, kitty. Maybe then you'll see your blonde girlfriend after we dump your body at her front doorstep. That's if you live, of course." He chuckled as he called back to her.

Once Hordak had disappeared far enough over the horizon, Shadow Weaver kneeled and pushed Catra's chin up with her long, pointed finger. "We're going to have some great bonding time, my little feline faliure. You've been yearning for connection for years, haven't you?" She hummed softly, turning to Rogelio and Lonnie. "Take her to my personal dungeon. I'll take it from there. Please see to it that she recieves as much...friendly 'roughhousing' on the way down there as possible. I'm sure you two have missed your Force Captain. Or perhaps I should say 'ex' Force Captain?" Shadow Weaver snatched the pin off of Catra's chest with a rough tug, tossing it to Lonnie. "Force Captain Lonnie, please escort the traitor away." She grinned deviously at Catra before standing.

She stood aside as Lonnie and Rogelio dragged Catra on to her feet, wrestling her forward as she tried in vain to escape the grips of the two Horde soldiers that she was never really able to call her friends. Shadow Weaver watched as the three of them made their way into the distance before slowly making her way after them, laughing darkly to herself.

Catra gave up trying to fight the two as they dragged her down, down, into the depths of the Horde's HQ. Catra had never seen this side of the HQ, and she wondered whether this was a new instalment or something, made especially to torture her once she got back. She wouldn't put it past Shadow Weaver to do such a thing, after all. Attempting to preserve what was left of her dignity, she didn't beg or plead for Lonnie and Rogelio to 'have mercy' on her, or to 'let her go'. The two of her former squad members had nothing to thank her for, and had more than enough reason to treat her like the shit she was to them. They did exactly as Shadow Weaver asked of them, throwing her around as much as they could. Leaving her battered and bruised, Lonnie and Rogelio tossed her in a cold cement room, as dark as the midnight sky. No windows, no vents, only the barred door.   
"See you later, princess." Lonnie said icily, no hint of joking or bite in her voice. Only a cool calmness that left Catra shivering in her wake as she and Rogelio retreated into the darkness. 

With no sense of time down there, and no idea when Shadow Weaver would come to begin her wrath on her, Catra could only stew in silence in the dark. She knew that Shadow Weaver would prolong her torture as long as she could- Hordak was right. She had been waiting for just the right opportunity to get at her, and now she had her chance to indulge herself with her suffering. 

Catra could only sit and pray- not for the first time in her life- that Adora would come back for her. 

"Please, Adora. Please, please come back for me." She whispered through split lips, with no one to listen but the dark surrounding her.


	8. AUTHOR'S NOTE #3

Hey, gamers!  
It's been a pretty long time, a few months at least (February, I think?). I think now that this quarantine thing has rolled around, I have no reason not to continue writing this fic in between my school work and whatnot. I hope that you guys are still up to the read, and for those who have stuck around, thank you so much for being patient.  
the next chapter will come soon!  
\- Liv


	9. AUTHOR'S NOTE #3

Hey, gamers!  
It's been a pretty long time, a few months at least (February, I think?). I think now that this quarantine thing has rolled around, I have no reason not to continue writing this fic in between my school work and whatnot. I hope that you guys are still up to the read, and for those who have stuck around, thank you so much for being patient.  
the next chapter will come soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't hesitate to give me feedback on how to improve, it's been 2 years since I last wrote so it would be much appreciated. Probably irregular updates lol, sorry, I'll try my best.


End file.
